Feature of the Week: Kaivalyam

To a spiritual aspirant, certain physical experiences are inexplicable. Certain people and places are capable of bringing out unseen joy and indescribable peace to a seeker. While this is a blessed experience for a seeker, skepticism may describe this as a fantastic imagination of the week-minded. Sure, science has several definitions for such a state of mind. As an example, let us examine what a Hypnotist could do his subject. In this exercise, the Hypnotist proceeds to hypnotize his subject whose only requirement is to be a subject to the order of the hypnotist without offering any resistance. Thus, the hypnotized subject can be happy or sad, ecstatic or gloomy, only till such time the hypnotist has the spell.

One sign of the Perfect Master is to be able to possess all Maha Siddhis or Great Powers. One such power is known as "Kaivalyam", the ability to impart the state of bliss to the chosen. Shri BVNarasimha Swami ji wrote in "Life of Sai Baba, Part IV":

"When they reach Atman or Brahman, Yogis are said to have the power of imparting such a state of bliss to persons fit to receive it. G.S. Khaparde was a highly cultured Sanskrit scholar, and had evidently read Yoga Sastra. He has referred to certain instances and experiences of his diary in the year 1911-12, while he stayed at Shirdi. Therein he repeatedly mentions that Baba cast yogic glances at certain persons who were immediately filled with a wave of bliss, which overpowered all their other mental activities and kept them immersed in bliss for hours without break.

Baba had the power to completely blackout some lines of thought, e.g., that of returning home from Upasani’s mind for eight days after his first visit to Baba. This yogic power which blacks out completely unwanted thoughts would evidently imply the power to give positive bliss to persons fit to receive it. If a person is comparatively free from sin and vice and could keep his mind sufficiently blank or sufficiently pure even for a while, any ordinary or sufficiently experienced hypnotist with a command could fill his mind with blissful thoughts over a considerable period of time. Baba’s yoga sampoorna state enabled Him to keep several people in such happy state as they themselves have recorded in their experiences.
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Devotees Say

Mala Gupta, Abu Dhabi, UAE
WHO IS A SAINT? One who is not perturbed in adversity. None of the followers of the three paths ----action, devotion and knowledge should be perturbed in mind. A devotee has firm faith in the being of God. We all should acknowledge God has the highest and best of all. Happiness and unhappiness lies in our thoughts. Whatever happens, happens by the will of God. God is knower of the minds of all. If God does anything that appears against his will, it does not cause any unhappiness to us and we are not perturbed at that time. Whatever happens according to God's will, won't create any uneasiness in our mind. All that are given by God should be welcomed by all of us with pleasure as his blessings. In this world anything that happens will happen either to our will or to the will of God. One who has learnt to merge his will to the will of God is a DEVOTEE. A devotee does not feel unhappiness even in a dream. To be unhappy while God's will is being served and to be happy while one's own desire is being served are not the distinction of a devotee. Persons are always attracted towards new things. One is bored by having everyday the same kind of food or dress and feels pleasure in the things that are daily changing. As such if we see that we find attraction in changeable things, we should then understand that we are not eager for God. There is no happiness in changeable things. Happiness lies in permanency. We desire to have permanent or eternal happiness but we search for it in changeable things and for that reason we wish to keep hold on such things. Imagination of happiness in such things is the cause of unhappiness since their separation is certain. When we remain unperturbed in adversity, our mind works correctly in finding a suitable way to get out of the adversity. Whatever we speak in a fit of anger are not worth hearing or taking note of and similarly whatever we speak while we are perturbed are not worth relying words or sentences, simply because our mind in those moments is not sound or steady. In such a vast world our attachment is with limited place, time and thing. Our attachment is with a limited portion only and rest we leave for God. We have to extend our attachment from the limited portion to the whole world. The same God who created the whole world is the creator of that portion of our attachment. Who has no attachment has no fear. Where there is attachment there would not be a sound resolve. Attachment with son causes fear and anticipation. When son does not return to home from his outing in time, we become prey to hallucination. Attachment is also a cause of anger. ONE WHO IS NOT PERTURBED BY ADVERSITY, ONE WHO REMAINS EAGERLESS IN MOMMENTS OF HAPPINESS, ONE WHO IS FREE FROM ATTACHMENTS, THAT ONE IS DECLARED BY THE GOD TO BE A REAL SAINT.

Srinivasrao Kasturi, Hyderabad, India
SAI IN ANNADHAANAM-5
Date: 21-03-2000. Time: 11:00 Hr, IST.
Venue: Home for the sick, Dying and destitute, Missionaries of charity, ID.Hospital compound, New Boyiguda, Secunderabad-500380. (India).

This is the fifth one in the series of ANNADHAANA scheme taken up by http://www.saidarbar.com during the year 2000. The organizers reached the above stated venue by 11.00 Hrs. The sisters in charge welcomed the team members and escorted them in side the premises. The Ashram is spread over an area of one Acre with beautiful plantations all around. There are about 150 inmates, both sick and old aged people residing in four large sized halls. In the midst of the Garden there was an over seeing statue of Mother Theresa with her usual compassionate looks and extending her motherly love to the people residing in the Ashram. A passing thought ran through Saibanisa's mind as if she was welcoming and addressing him to share his love with those less fortunate lot of the Society. Sisters were busy in performing their assigned duties; some were busy in prayer and others were seen engaged in the task of shifting the prepared food items from the kitchen to the dinning hall. Sick people were served food at their Beds with the help of sisters.

Inmates who were mentally depressed were seen to surround our team members and leading us to their beds, calling us affectionately as uncles. It was a Heart rendering seen to observe that they are longing for something that can not be expressed in words and are found to be wanting? Perhaps the love and affection of the kith and kin to watch every one is entitled.

It was pleasing to note that people from all faiths are living under one roof amicably with due respects to their religion of origin. Their behavior pattern was that of a small child and age is as such in wait for the death. Selfless sisters attending on them were untiringly working and helping them towards a dignified death. By 11.30 AM lunch session was over and old people were seen going back to their respective places in search of something unknown, leaving behind the time elapsed.

Saidarbar team thanked all the sisters and came out with heavy heart. The financial help extended by Saibandhus Sri Narsimharao Bolisetty, Harini Kota, Suresh Peddi, Suvarna Thota, all from USA for this noble cause is gratefully acknowledged. Saidarbar team prays Lord Sainath to shower his blessings on all of them and their families. For further details saibanisa@yahoo.com may be contacted.

Mary and Bhima
Dear Sai Kiran, My husband told me about your situation and then I read your letter. It always touches me when I hear about someone who is in despair because of health problems because that situation is like mine. I've been battling my illness for 15 years and I'd like to tell you everything that helps me. First, you have an inner strength that enables you to be honest, humble to be able to ask for help, and very strong to have endured your condition for over a year. I believe that God intends for us to reach out to the God in others and we must learn how to help each other. When I reach out it is most often for love, understanding, and compassion. Then, I want help with solutions. I pray a lot and some of my meditations are of Baba reaching out to me or smiling at me. Just yesterday I prayed for rest and comfort because I was in pain and my prayers were answered within an hour. My worst times are when I am so, so tired and then I ask how can I go on? How long will this suffering last? I project all the problems I'm having into the future and it seems impossible. But then, if I have grace enough to notice that because I have persevered like the elephant God Ganesha, I have made it through what seemed like impossible trials, with the help of Baba, of course. The next subject is of course the body. You may not be like me, but in my case the source of my problems is environmental. It took visits to 15 doctors to find my correct diagnosis. I have extensive allergies that did not show up with conventional allergy tests. If you have access to the Internet, the doctor that hospitalized me has a website www.ehcd.com . You can even ask questions there. There are also books listed with excellent information on the subject. Once again, I'm so glad you can be honest and reach out because it helps me to know there are others with feelings like me. Sai Ram, Mary and Bhima

Manthana Reddy
Sai Ram, This is in response to Jayanthi, Singapore, request to get vibuthi that came directly out of Sai's picture. I live in California and by Sai's grace I am fortunate to get the vibuthi which directly came out of Sai's picture in Colusa (Refer to MRK, Phoenix, AZ, USA reference to Colusa in Sai Vichaar dated 02/09/00). If you are interested, Please let me know your mail address so that I can mail the vibuthi to you. May all the beings in all the worlds be always happy!

Radhika, V.
This is in reply to Gowri's mail regarding a project for her Husband. I want to tell her not to lose faith in HIS lotus feet. I went through an identical situation a few months back and it was only Baba's grace that saw us through. My suggestion would be to undertake and complete reading Sai Satcharit in one week and if after completion you don't feel fully satisfied, do another Saptah. You can also write to saibanisa@yahoo.com, with your worries. It is my experience that adversities such as these test our faith in HIM and along the way strengthen us. Don't lose hope, keep faith and Baba will show you the way.
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Prayer Club

Veena Gupta, New Delhi
Dear Sai Devotee, Shubha Kamath. Jai Sai Ram. Our Sincere thanks to Baba for listening to our prayer and solving our problems. Thanks to Him again. We will pray for you the coming Thursday at the time of recitation of Sai Amrit Vani, when Baba visits us. Please give your address (not merely the E-mail address) with such requests ashok@dgsd.delhi.nic.in guptaji@cyberspace.org
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Sai Activities

Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Temple, 1449&1451 Abers Creek Road, Pittsburgh, PA - Ugadi and Sri Rama Navami celebrations from April 5 to April 12, 2000.
The program includes Japam, Homam, Archana, Tarpanam, Sri Ramayana Pathanam, Sahasranama Archana, Ashtothra Archana, and Sita Rama Kalyanam. For more information, contact Temple priest at (412) 374-9244. The temple also gratefully acknowledges the receipt of a White Marble statue of Shirdi Sai Baba. The statue is about 5 feet tall, and will soon be enshrined at a suitable location in the premises. The temple will appreciate donations to wards this cause. Please contact the priest at (412) 374-9244.

Sai Samsthan USA, Chicago - Ugadi/Gudipadava Celebrations, 2000
Sai Samsthan USA celebrates Ugadi/Gudipadava on April 5, 2000 at Shri Shirdi Sai Baba Mandir, 27W321, Butterfield road, Warrenville, IL - 60555 (On Southside between Herrick & Winfield)
Phone Number - 630-653-4444. (Internet: http://www.saisamsthanusa.org)
The Ugadi/Gudipadava program is as follows:
6:00 PM - Dhoop Aarti
6:30 PM - Samoohika Sai Satya Vratam
8:30 PM - Bhajans & Kirtans
9:00PM - Shej Aarti
9:30PM - Mahaprasad

For more information Contact:
Umapathi Cattamanchi - 708-448-3016
Nagabhushanam Koneru - 847-304-0641
Ananth Sonti - 630-790-3800
Chandini Patel - 773-338-3426
Jitendra Shelke - 773-465-5605

Sai Maa Foundation (USA) Inc. celebrates Sri Ram Navmi at Sai Darbar, 818 Columbia Ave, North Bergen, NJ 07047.
The program is as follows;
11.30 AM - Ganesh Stuti
12.00 to 1.00 PM - Sai Laheri Group/Ethnic Sai devotional Bhajans
1.00 PM to 2.00 PM - Bhajans, Kirtans, Satsang
2.00 PM - Aarti/Palki, Mahaprasad

For more information please contact
Narendra Dave 908-686-7214
Mukund Parikh 732-205-9437
Bhaghwan Nihalani 201-436-1851
Bharat Sanyal 732-940-2226
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Devotee's Experience

Balaji, G.D
I am a Baba devote for some years, even though I haven't personally experienced any miracles by Baba myself, an amazing thing happened to my uncle who lives in Bangalore. It seems that an old man came to his house and told him to buy a Baba’s picture and do pooja and he would be blessed. So my uncle went and bought a picture and did pooja, the next day morning the whole place was covered with Baba’s vibuthi. This is the first time anything like this has happened in our family.
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Question of the Week

How does a Sai devotee define patience?

Ravin Gnanasambandam, Ithaca, NY, USA

SaiRam. It is an experience for all of us, waiting. We often see ourselves pouring out in front of the saint God, our despair in the tone, "Sai, how long do I have to wait. Have I not abided by your command? Isn’t time you had seen to my welfare?

The feature of the week appeared in Sai Vichaar several weeks ago sums up rather interestingly, the concept of patience that Sadguru Sainath demands from His children:
"Sai Baba demanded dakshina (the term given to money or other material offered to the Guru by the disciple). It is known that He did not ask for it from everyone that visited Him. His demands did not seem to conform to a particular pattern; neither did He receive it from everyone who wanted to offer. It was as if a divine predisposition dictated the matter of asking and receiving dakshina. Sai Satcharitha reveals several incidents where Sainath had asked specific amounts of money from those who visited Him only to be confirmed later that the dealings existed beyond the knowledge of the giver.

On a metaphorical note, Sai Baba always insisted on two pice as dakshina to be given to Him by His followers. Faith and patience are considered as those two pice that this saint God wanted from His children. Patience is realized as a universal virtue that needs no explanation. However, patience that Sainath wants from His devotees is unique. Sri B. Hanumantha Rao, a blessed devotee of Sadguru Sainath and the writer of a Telugu work titled "Sai Anusaranamu" expounds this principle as follows: "the patience a devotee must possess should be similar to the one that a war horse exhibits in a battle field. Amid the deafening sounds of cannons, lingering death knell, chaos, and cacophony, the horse bears the weight of its rider and surges forward without any fear for his life. This is patience coupled with valor and enthusiasm. This is the patience that Baba wants His children to exhibit." A passive act of waiting because of lack of alternatives may not be construed as patience that Sainath demands from His followers. Patience has to be an active phase of courage, hope, and enthusiasm that arise out of one's surrender to His predisposition. Such a patience will reap a rich harvest, material and spiritual" - Sai Vichaar Vol. 1, Number 10
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